Henning’s Handmade Hardtail

Builder: Henning
Bike: Steel Hardtail MTB
Built in: Framebuilding Course, Potsdam
Terrain: Vogtland & Erzgebirge
Special features: minimalist frame design, clearance for 2.4″ tires, space for a 38-tooth chainring, geometry designed for efficient climbing and confident descents

It started with a borrowed bike.

For a cycling tour with colleagues, Henning borrowed his brother’s SingleBe mountain bike. After just a few kilometers, something clicked. The ride, the feel of the bike, and especially the steel frame left a strong impression.

“Schon nach den ersten Kilometern war ich von Stahlrahmen fasziniert,” erinnert sich Henning.

Back home, curiosity took over. He began researching steel frames and the options available on the market. During that search he came across Big Forest Frameworks.

The idea of building a bicycle completely by hand immediately appealed to him. It would combine two of his biggest interests: cycling and craftsmanship.

A Hardtail for the Mittelgebirge

Henning spends most of his riding time in the Vogtland and Erzgebirge regions. The Mittelgebirge landscape offers beautiful terrain for cycling: quiet roads, long forest tracks, and countless small gravel and dirt paths winding through nature.

For this kind of riding, the choice of bike quickly became clear.

A mountain bike hardtail would fit his needs perfectly.

The bike wasn’t intended for enduro trails or multi-day bikepacking trips. Instead, Henning wanted a bike that would excel on sporty day rides away from asphalt.

Simple by Design

When designing his frame, Henning had one clear goal: keep it simple.

No unnecessary details, no extra features that he didn’t truly need.

He deliberately avoided additional eyelets or bridges between the chainstays and seatstays. The frame only includes mounts for two water bottles.

The geometry was also carefully considered. The bike should climb efficiently while still feeling stable and controlled on descents.

The seat tube length was chosen so that a 150 mm dropper post fits perfectly.

One technical challenge during the design was combining a large chainring with enough clearance for wide tires.

In the end, the frame fits a 38-tooth chainring together with 2.4-inch tires, creating a bike that balances speed with traction on rough terrain.

A Week in the Workshop

The week in the workshop in Potsdam passed incredibly quickly.

Once the work begins, it is easy to lose track of time. Measuring tubes, aligning parts in the jig, preparing joints for brazing – the hours go by almost unnoticed.

“In der Werkstatt verliert man völlig das Zeitgefühl,” sagt Henning.
“Manchmal mussten wir sogar daran erinnert werden, überhaupt eine Mittagspause zu machen.”

During that intense week he learned a tremendous amount about bicycles and about the craft of framebuilding itself.

For anyone who loves steel frames and dreams of creating their own bike, Henning wholeheartedly recommends the experience. The course offers both the space and the support needed to turn an idea into a finished bicycle.

Riding a Bike You Built Yourself

Today Henning’s bike rides exactly the way he hoped it would.

The steering feels light and responsive. With good traction it climbs confidently on muddy trails and handles descents just as reliably.

But some of the most enjoyable moments are the quieter ones.

Rolling along forest and farm tracks, surrounded by nature, far from busy roads.

A Project Made Possible

Henning finishes his story with a note of gratitude.

He thanks the Big Forest Frameworks team for their support during the course.

And he also gives special thanks to his brother Richard and his wife Deborah.

“Without their support and their expertise, this project wouldn’t have been possible.”

📸 Henning’s hardtail mountain bike, built during the framebuilding course in Potsdam.